underwolves . . . . . tiger tiger, burning bright . . . . .
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underwolves . . . . . tiger tiger, burning bright . . . . .
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| profile: | the underwolves | 1996 |
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Ned Kelly is a most friendly thirty-year-old from Reading who
not only helps look after DJ Pulse's label Creative Wax but
also has made a couple of the most gently soothing drum & bass
soundtracks, together with Professor Stretch, as The Underwolves
. Ned Kelly hooked up with Professor Stretch while doing
production work together for a band and Stretch introduced him
to Ashley ‘DJ Pulse’ Brown and it all went from there: records
like The Crossing and The Redeemer released on Creative Wax, the N
ine Lives release for Dorado’s Filter offshoot (while Ross Allen
was still running things there) and special remixes like the one
of Bim Sherman’s Can I Be Free From Crying. And expect more of
the Underwolves’ high quality experimental modern music that’s
always accessible to the uninitiated and some serious live events
with people like Talvin Singh. Now it’s time to find out who’s
the creative force behind all this... What was the first record you made? "My first was In Tens by R.N.M. from 1995, mistakenly titled Jazzy Groove." How did you get started in making music? "I had been dj-ing from the age of nineteen, playing rare groove, soul, jazz and occasionally hiphop, when I was approached in 1990 by two musicians who were looking for someone with breaks to get them away from the house thing. We developed a sound over a couple of years, wrote some songs, got a deal then split as it all got boring." What would you do if not involved in music? "Go and live on a farm in India. I'd have to be away from music if I wasn't working in it, I'm too passionate about it to not be involved. Besides, I can't do anything else." There was a time when we didn't yet use the term 'jungle. Looking back now, what was for you personally the most influential record in the development towards jungle? "Undoubtedly Radio Babylon. I personally hated rave and all that harder noise business. But I bought this track because it was so funky. At the time I was only buying old jazz or new mellow grooves. This track really stood out." Which track would you really like to remix? "I definitely want to work with Q-Tip. He's the modern John Coltrane. Other than that it's not wise to have too great expectations of people. Everything should be level. It doesn't really matter who you work with as long as you're both properly into music. I'd love to remix My Favourite Things by Coltrane. The fifty-seven minute version!" Where do you see the drum & bass phenomenon in maybe ten years time? "I think by then there will have been a lot of assimilation and drum & bass will be influencing all music as all music influences drum & bass. Hopefully there will be a core at that time still spawning more new offshoots." What are your future projects? Do you have an album in the pipeline? "It looks like The Underwolves will be doing an album around March/April for GreenTea, a new label run by On-U Sound. We'll continue doing tracks for Creative Wax and also we'll be doing tracks for Ross Allen wherever he ends up after the Filter debacle. In amongst all this are collaborations and remixes but I'd rather just let it all happen naturally not contrived, so I'm not going to say who with..." Does drum & bass need more live instrumentation? "I will and have for years worked with live instrumentation but I love proper breaks. Jungle is breakbeat and breaks play a crucial role in the sound. Not just drumbreaks either. I like big fat moody samples. They're my speciality." What is your favourite production tool and why? "I find the ADAT useful although it will soon be outdated of course. Professor Stretch can perform miracles with the AKAI S3200 as well as the computer. He is the technological one of the setup." Which clubs do you rate and why? "That's How It Is at Bar Rumba; consistantly challenging music, not afraid to try strange things. Previously Dingwalls, 1986-91. Redefined club culture when house was just mashing up everything; the centre for everything that happened after." Are you the dancing type or do you choose to take it all in while relaxing with a smoke? "I love to dance to drum'n'bass. I find it irresistable, I used to dance to jazz so to me all the mid and top range sounds can be used to express yourself as well as the rhythm." In short, what's the best thing about drum & bass? "Drum & bass has completely revolutionised music comparable only to punk and the incredible shock that caused everyone. At it's best it's the most complete form of music there is. Also it allows people who have no access to music college or training to express themselves which is why it is so powerful." Will Alex Reece and Wax Doctor be releasing new material on Creative Wax? "No comment." Now for some 'fave flaves', who are your favourite producers? "DJ Pulse, Tango, Roni Size + crew, Photek, Tony Justice, Doc Scott, Funky Technicians." And what is your all-time top-five? "Public Image Limited - Death Disco, Donald Byrd - You & Music, Yusef Lateef - Brother John, Arnold Blair - Trying To Get Next To You, Chaka Khan - Circles. Past & current top-five, sort of. Can't do all-time. Don't be silly. I'm getting confused. No dance tracks here! Oh well." Finally, can you tell us something surprising about yourself? "I once had a clothes shop for a couple of years. But I left it to go back into making music." That's all folks. Don't forget to check Creative Wax's list of record releases by clicking the button below...
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